To give you a flavor of what Wondering About is about, read the following press release:

Philadelphia, PA (Vocus/PRWEB ) February 28, 2010 -- Xlibris, the leading print-on-demand self-publishing services provider, announced today the release of Wondering About: Curiosity, Imagination, and Science: A Personal Journey, a new book of tremendous insight authored by David Strumfels.

Wondering About is a comprehensive guide that discusses the natural sciences and man’s everlasting struggle to learn what his place in the universe is, where he fits in, and what the true purpose of his existence is all about. By dealing with the many forms of science and philosophy, this release also serves as an intellectual autobiography – an expedition through Strumfels’ mind and his life as a human being. Through the author’s views and life experience as an individual who has spent his life struggling with Asperger’s Syndrome and how, despite these struggles, how it has also helped him retain his childlike curiosity, sense of wonder, and imagination; characteristics he hopes to inspire in others, and which never should be satisfied, and much more.

With its detailed narrative and numerous references, Wondering About: Curiosity, Imagination, and Science: A Personal Journey is specially written for the pleasure of gratifying curiosity and wonder. Readers who wish to order a copy are encouraged to visit Amazon.com.

About Me

My formal training is in chemistry. I also read a great deal of physics and biology. In fact I very much enjoy reading in general, mostly science, but also some fiction and history. I also enjoy computer programming and writing. I like hiking and exploring nature. I also enjoy people; not too much in social settings, but one on one; also, people with interesting or "off-beat" minds draw me to them. I also have some interest in Buddhism.

These days I get a lot more information from the internet, primarily through Wiki. Some television, e. g., documentaries, PBS shows like "Nova" and "Nature".

My favorite science writers are Jacob Bronowski ("The Ascent of Man") and Richard Dawkins (his "The Blind Watchmaker" is right up there up Ascent). I also have a favorite writer on Buddhism, Pema Chodron. Favorite films are "Annie Hall" (by Woody Allen), "The Maltese Falcon", "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest", "As Good As It Gets", "Conspiracy Theory", Monty Python's "Search For The Holy Grail" and "Life of Brian", and a few others which I can't think about at the moment.

I love a number of classical works (Beethoven's "Pastoral", "Afternoon Of A Fawn" and "Clair De Lune" by Debussey , Pachelbel's "Canon" come to mind. My favorite piece is probably Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue". But I also enjoy a great deal in modern music, including many jazz pieces, folk songs by people like Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, a hodgepodge of pieces by Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Niel Young, and practically everything the Beatles wrote.

My life over the last few years has been in some disarray, but I am finally "getting it together.". As I am very much into the sciences and writing, I would like to move more in this direction. I also enjoy teaching. As for my political leanings, most people would probably describe as basically liberal, though not extremely so. My religious leanings are to the absolutely none: I've alluded to my interest in Buddhism, but again this is not any supernatural or scientifically untested aspect of it but in the way it provides a powerful philosophy and set of practical, day to day methods of dealing with myself and the other human beings.